Rudi Pichler Riesling Ried Hochrain Smaragd
Wine Description
The Pichler family has been making wine in the village of Wösendorf since at least the late 19th century. The original cellar building, more of a small stall than a winery, was purchased in 1884 and their first vineyards were planted in the town of Wosendorf in 1904. The modern winery was built in 2004 near Rudi´s private home. After some initial wanderlust and the pursuit of various other interests – academic and commercial – Rudolf Pichler IV returned to the family winery with a seed of an idea. He had no formal training other than his memories of his grandfather and his instincts for great wine.
Documented as early as 1050, the site in Wösendorf, at the foot of the Hochrain, is influenced by the sediment and stone soils of its highly situated vineyards, producing wines with a dense mineral texture and fine fruity flavors. Smaragd is the Wachau designation for dry late harvest wines, above 12.5% alcohol through natural fermentation. The best smaragd wines can age well for decades.